Fire extinguisher



G. T. PEARSONS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1920.

Patented Jan 10, 1922,

2... as 2;: e

(PG n w: [7TH F n s] '1. EAR-SOBIS, O1 NEW) YORK,

Ell-22E FJKTING'U'ISHER.

inoaiei.

Application filed April 2,

T 0 (M whom vizmcg concern.

Be it .lznov-rn that I, Gnome T. ARSONS, a citizen of the United tates, residing in the borough ot' nanhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire Extinguishers, of which the following a speci ction.

This invention relates to tire extinguishers ot' the type in which a fire extinguishing liquid is ejected from a reservoir by pressure created within the reservoir, such as a gas pressure resulting cm the reaction of the mixing of generating materials normally maintained in a separated condition in a generator, and relates particularly to e:-;-' tinguishers of this type adapted as unit sprinklers in which means are re aired in position to hold the gas generating materials in a separated condition in the erator by fusible means exterior of the reser voir, the fusing of said fusible means starting or setting the generator in operation, thus permitting the gas generating terials to mix with the resultant generating of gas and ejecting the liquid from the reservoir by-the pressure created by such gas.

In fire extinguishers of this type the area of the outlet of the reservoiris and is such that the liquid may be readily and forcibly discharged therethrough from the res ervoir by the gas pressure within the reservoir and diffused laterally by a head carried by the reservoir adjacent said outlet opening. The tire extinguishing liquid used in this type of extinguisher is carbon tetrachloride, or a composition of which carbon tetrachloride constitutes a component part, and the liquid is of such a nature that it will expand and volatilize at a relatively low temperature, say about 170 degrees, with the result that as the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the extinguisher. in creases the liquid will expand within the reservoir. Should the discharge outlet of the reservoir be so proportioned as to permit of the discharge of the liquid. by the gas pressure at constant volume or stream of predetermined size it will not be of sutlicient size to permit of the ready discharge of the liquid as expansion of the liquid takes place in the reservoir with the result that the expansive force of the liquid in connection with the gas pressure will rupture the reservoir. It is the object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage by making the reservoir outlet of considerable Specification of Letters Patent.

19212. Serial No. 370,994.

area and providing yielding means to normally close the outlet, which means is auto math-ally adjustable by the pressure within the reservoir and the force of the ejected stream to increase or decrease the area of the outlet in accordance with such pressures within the reservoir. said means also being adapted to diffuse the ejected stream later ally.

In the drawing accompanying and form ing a part of this specification there is shown in sectional side elevation'a fire extinguisher with an embodiment of my invention applied thereto.

in the drawing 1 have shown an embodiment of my invention in connection with a fire extinguisher in which there is provided a reservoir 1 of suitable material to contain the fire extinguishing liquid, the reservoir having a tiller opening closed by a cap or plug 2 and a discharge outlet 3.

As the liquid is forcibly ejected from the TF%l-70l1 or tank by-pressure, such as gas pressure, within the reservoir for which purpose there is provided a gas generator comprising a receptacle 4 to contain generating material. such as hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, said receptacle being suspended from the top of the reservoir in line with an opening adapted to be closed by a removable cover 5, and the receptacle h ving an outlet 6 leading into the reservoir, A tubular member 7 t constitute a part of a second receptacle is suspended in the first receptacle by a flange 8 thereof engaging with an inwardly extending ledge 9 of a flange 10 on the top of the reservoir, and the other end of the tube is closed and secured in position by the cover 5, suitable packing, as at 11, being interposed between the flanges 9 and 8 and the cover. By this construction the tubular member 7 may be readily removed for cleaning or the supplying of the gas'generating material to the receptacle 4e To adapt said tubular member as a receptacle to carry another gas generating material, such as bicarbonate of soda, and maintain said material in the tubular member tree from and permit the material to mix with the material in the receptacle 4 when required, the lower end of the tubular memher 7 is closed by a movable member or botstated,

tom 12; that is, the bottom is adapted to be moved away from the tubular member 7 to permit the bicarbonate of soda to drop onto the acid in the receptacle 4: with the resulting reaction. This bottom 12 in the normal condition of the extinguisher is retained in position contiguous to the lower end of the tubular member 7 by a stem 13 connected thereto extending through the receptacle a and through an opening in a plug 1% in the reservoir to the exterior of the latter, and retained in its normal position adjacent the member 7 by a fusible bar 15 consisting of a pair of endwise abutting sections secured in such position by a "fusible solder as shown at 16, said bar being carried at its ends by a ring 17 having screw threaded connection with a collar 18 connected to the plug 14, and upon which bar 15 the end of the rod 13 rests. Said rod 13 engages in a tube 19 secured to and closed at one end by the plug let and the rod iss'lidably mounted on the plug 14 and a disk 20 in the tube. The tube extends up through the bottom of the receptacle 4t and up into an inwardly extending tubular portion 21 of the bottom. The rod 13 also extends up into the tubular bottom portion 21 and is connected at its upper end to the closed end of said tubular portion and carries a valve 22 adjacent theend which is adapted to co-operate with a valve seat at the end of the tube 19to shut off communication between the tube 19 and the receptacle a when the bottom 12 drops awayirom the receptacle 7 and the reaction of the generating materials is taking place.

The outlet 6 of the receptacle 4: to the res-.

ervoir is sealed to normally prevent access to the fire extinguishing liquid into the said receptacle as well as prevent evaporation of the acid. For this purpose I provide a leaf 24- of fragile material which will be readilyruptured or punctured by the gas pressure in the receptacle 4. a tin foil leaf having been found to answer the purpose. To secure this leaf to the outletit is secured to a washer 24,

which washer is clamped to the end of a tube 27 in which the outlet is located by a perforated cap 26. i To discharge the liquid from the reservoir there is connected to a tubular member 28 in which the outlet 3 is located, a tube29 ex tending to adjacent the top of the reservoir and then bentreversely and extending to adacent the bottom. This tube and the outlet 1s of relatively large size, and the outlet is closed by a valve 30 co-operating with a valve seat in the outer end of the member 28. This valve is slidably mounted on a stem 81 fixed at one end in the outlet member 28 and the valve is maintained in yielding engagement with the valve seat by a spring 32 coiled about the'stem 31 and confined be tween the valve and lock nuts 33 on the outer end oi the stem. It will thus be obvious that the valve is automatically adjustable to regulate the d scharge outlet in accordance with thepressure in the reservoir and the torce of the ejectedstream. The valve is preferably in the form of what is commonly termed a sprinkler head to diffuse the ejected liquid laterally, and for which purpose it is bevvelled or cone-shaped, the cone :tace being extended to increase the deflecting surface thereor". It will be understood that the force with which the valve engages with the seat may be increased or decreased by adjusting the lock nuts on the valve stem.

in operation the reservoir is first filled with the liquid. The leaf closure 24: 15 then applied to the outlet Sotthe receptacle 4; and the acid supplied to said receptacle. The bottom 12 and the tubular member '2' are then inserted. through the cover opening into the receptacle 4 and the bottom adjusted through the fusible bar 15 to lie contiguous the thus formed receptacle and the cover 5 secured in place. The extinguisher in this condition. is suspended or supported in'a suitable position as from the ceiling or an opening therein. When a fire occurs and the temperature of the atmosphere -sur rounding the extinguisher attains a predetermined degreethe fusible solder 16 will melt or fuse, the bar sections separatingat the abutting ends and the rod 13 will drop and with it the bottom 12 of the receptacle, the soda mixing with the acid, generating gas and the pressure of the gas in the-receptacle 4 rupturing the seal 24c and passing into the reservoir where such gas pressure acting on the liquid in the reservoir will eject the liquid through the tube 29, the force and pressure of the liquid unseating the valve, 30

against the action of the spring 32, and the ejected stream may be it will be diffused latorally by the bevelled face of thefvalve.

' Having thus described my invention, '1 claim: I

1. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a reservoir for a fire extinguishing liquid.

having a discharge outlet with a valve seat;

generator in which to generate gas in'the reservoir havmg an outlet leading into the reservoir; a fragile leaf to close said outlet adapted to be ruptured by the pressure within the generator; a slidably supported valve exterior of the reservoir to close the reservoir outlet; and a'spring to normally urge the valve to its seat to close the valve, said valve being operable by the liquid through the pressure in the reservoir to open the outlet and vary thearea of the outlet opening,

and adapted to diffuse the discharged liquid laterally.

2. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a reservoir for a fire extinguishing liquid having a discharge outlet; a generator in the reservoir having an outlet leading into the reservoir and means to maintain gas generating materials therein in a separated condition, said means having a part to extend to the exterior'of the reservoir; fusible means to co-operate With said projecting means to normally maintain said means in position with the gas generating materials in a separated condition in the generator and the fusing of said fusible means causing said means to operate and the gas generating materials to mix; a slidably supported valve for the reservoir outlet; and yielding means to normally maintain the valve in closed position, said valve being operable to open the outlet by the liquid through the gas pressure in the reservoir, and to vary the outlet opening in accordance With the pressure Within the reservoir for the purpose specified.

3. In a tire extinguisher, the combination of a reservoir for a fire extinguishing liquid having a discharge outlet; a generator in said reservoir having an outlet leading into the reservoir; means in the generator to normally maintain gas generating materials in a separated condition in the generator and operable to permit the materials to mix, said means having a stem projecting to the exterior of the reservoir; a fusible bar cooperating With the projecting stem to maintain said means in position with the materials in the generator in a separated condition, the fusing of said bar permitting said means to operate to cause the materials to mix; a slidably supported valve for the reservoir outlet; and a spring to yieldingly maintain said valve in closed position; said valve being operable from the pressure within the reservoir to open the reservoir outlet and vary the area of said outlet opening in accordance with the pressure Within the reservoir and adapted to diffuse the discharging liquid for the purpose specified.

GEQT. PEARSONS. 

